Author Archives: farlane

My name is Andrew L. McFarlane, and I have been the publisher and editor of Absolute Michigan since October . Feel free to send him an email.

My editorial philosophy with Absolute Michigan is to try and promote the state of Michigan as a place to visit, for business that doesn’t mess up the natural beauty we are blessed with, and most importantly as a place to live your life with the people you love.

Park(ing) Day webcasting from Grand Rapids

Tomorrow (Friday, September 19) is National Park-ing Day. In this video about Parking Day in Grand Rapids, Andy Dragt says he'll be broadcasting live via internet (Twitter/andydragt.com)/Rapid Growth) tomorrow.

A Trap is Set by Rudy Malmquist
From RGTV: Park(ing) Day on Rapid Growth:
Leaders of the Green Grand Rapids initiative are spearheading West Michigan’s first celebration of National [...]

Michigan's Small Business Advocate … and cider

cider by yodraws
Crain's Detroit has a neat "Small Talk" series of videos. One of these is a Q&A with Michigan's Small Business Advocate, Chris Holman. His job is to connect small businesses with services and programs. I had no idea there was even such a position (Chris's page can be found at michigan.org).
Chris is (was?) [...]

GM2K: Production Chevy Volt revealed

In Chevy Volt, Live & Unplugged, Jalopnik reports on yesterday's unveiling of the Chevy Volt:
The finale of GM's centennial celebration today was the official reveal of the production 2011 Chevrolet Volt, the first official plug-in hybrid production vehicle from a major auto manufacturer. Details are slim, but what we know is this — GM calls [...]

The Week for September 15-21, 2008

Rain or Shine (since 1922) by paulh192
Welcome to a special Monday evening edition of The Week on Absolute Michigan.
While the stock market falls, folks on Mackinac Island are getting ready for the Festival of the Falling Leaves Moon (Sep 18-20) which celebrates the time of year when the trees were told to stay awake for [...]

Photo Friday: Letter Head by Rolling Photos

Rolling Photos (Adam Vander Ark) writes that he is wheelchair bound with a passion for photography and sports.
You can see another view of this cool sculpture from Meijer Gardens in The Letter People. Some of his sets include Candids, Michigan's Lakeshore, Greater West Michigan Area and Mackinac Island (slideshow).

Ready to Pick: Michigan Plums!

Michigan's Plums by PhotoLab507
Taste the Local Difference says that plums are ready to pick. Janice Benson, TLD's dynamic coordinator writes:
Last summer, our friend Angel took us for a ride to see all of the fresh fruit he so proudly had grown at his farm. Apples, pears, peaches, and plums! I had never picked plums before [...]

Back to School: Free college with The Kalamazoo Promise

The Promise Starts Here by Ed Roth
Quite simply, The Kalamazoo Promise is a scholarship offered to every Kalamazoo Public School student. Depending on the time in the district and income level of the family, students may earn up to 100% tuition at any public State of Michigan university or community college.
You can get an update [...]

John McCain & Michigan

Sarah Palin Addresses Michigan, photo by b24chicago
Last Friday, Republican Presidential candidate John McCain made his first major visit to Michigan. In McCain Makes a Run at Michigan, A Wavering Democratic Stronghold, the Wall Street Journal observes that Michigan could be critical in November:
If John McCain becomes the nation's 44th president, it may be thanks to [...]

Detroit International Jazz Festival video

Enjoy this report from the 2008 Detroit International Jazz Festival hosted by Jim McClain and shot and produced by Scott Allman for Absolute Michigan. You can also click to view Detroit International Jazz Festival 2008 in high quality on YouTube.

For more than a quarter century, the Detroit International Jazz Festival has entertained millions of fans [...]

Photo Friday: and she began to understand what life in the country was all about. by riot jane

Bethany (riot jane) says she's a vegetarian, romantic, explorer, singer, voyager, wonderer, crossword puzzler extraordinaire and young at heart.
She's also a talented photographer and photo processor, bringing a unique view of life in rural Michigan through photo sets like love is a river raisin battlefield, maybee, michigan and her great photos of her favorite place [...]